An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
